Robert Putnam

I'm not talking about the Boy Scouts today. It's got a lot of problems, et cetera, but I'm talking about the Boy Scouts in 19—whatever it was, 1910, roughly speaking. Sure. The Boy Scouts is fun. Fundamentally, it's fun. I don't know whether you've ever been in the Boy Scouts.

I was very active in the Boy Scouts when I was really little, so I'm now describing things that happened about 75 years ago. Yeah.

I was very active in the Boy Scouts when I was really little, so I'm now describing things that happened about 75 years ago. Yeah.

I was very active in the Boy Scouts when I was really little, so I'm now describing things that happened about 75 years ago. Yeah.

Okay, well, stick with me for a moment. It was fun. You know, I learned bird identification. I became a lifelong birder because of that. We went camping and hiking. That was super fun. But also, there was character formation. Your viewers have to look at me. I now have my three fingers raised.

Okay, well, stick with me for a moment. It was fun. You know, I learned bird identification. I became a lifelong birder because of that. We went camping and hiking. That was super fun. But also, there was character formation. Your viewers have to look at me. I now have my three fingers raised.

Okay, well, stick with me for a moment. It was fun. You know, I learned bird identification. I became a lifelong birder because of that. We went camping and hiking. That was super fun. But also, there was character formation. Your viewers have to look at me. I now have my three fingers raised.

And I'm saying a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. And I missed one. Trustworthy, loyal. There's one right in there that I missed. But I got 11 out of 12. And that's remembering back, you know, 75 years. Now step back from that anecdote. What was that? That was about character formation.

And I'm saying a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. And I missed one. Trustworthy, loyal. There's one right in there that I missed. But I got 11 out of 12. And that's remembering back, you know, 75 years. Now step back from that anecdote. What was that? That was about character formation.

And I'm saying a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. And I missed one. Trustworthy, loyal. There's one right in there that I missed. But I got 11 out of 12. And that's remembering back, you know, 75 years. Now step back from that anecdote. What was that? That was about character formation.

It was about our obligations to other people. I mean, most of those are quite – we would like to have kids have those values today, wouldn't we? I mean, trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous.

It was about our obligations to other people. I mean, most of those are quite – we would like to have kids have those values today, wouldn't we? I mean, trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous.

It was about our obligations to other people. I mean, most of those are quite – we would like to have kids have those values today, wouldn't we? I mean, trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous.

Kind. All those are sounding pretty good. Obedience sounds a little 19th century-ish. Grave sounds a little –

Kind. All those are sounding pretty good. Obedience sounds a little 19th century-ish. Grave sounds a little –

Kind. All those are sounding pretty good. Obedience sounds a little 19th century-ish. Grave sounds a little –

Clean? Yeah, that's not so bad. Reverent? I mean, what the scouts were as a response to the boy problem was to combine fun and character formation. Now, stick with me for a moment. You asked me, we began this conversation saying, okay, we got the boy problem. What do we do about it? I am not saying that today the scouts are the solution to that problem.

Clean? Yeah, that's not so bad. Reverent? I mean, what the scouts were as a response to the boy problem was to combine fun and character formation. Now, stick with me for a moment. You asked me, we began this conversation saying, okay, we got the boy problem. What do we do about it? I am not saying that today the scouts are the solution to that problem.

Clean? Yeah, that's not so bad. Reverent? I mean, what the scouts were as a response to the boy problem was to combine fun and character formation. Now, stick with me for a moment. You asked me, we began this conversation saying, okay, we got the boy problem. What do we do about it? I am not saying that today the scouts are the solution to that problem.

And I don't think people my age are actually going to be good at guessing what will work in the middle years of the 21st century. Old guys like me can sometimes be helpful in saying that there is a problem because I personally remember when we weren't so isolated as we are now. But it's my grandchildren who are now mostly in their 20s.